Hello All! I just found a great site with a detailed and relatively easy DIY for upgrading your headlights. It is for a Chevy Camero, but the bulbs should be the same as they are 1a1 and 2a1. http://www.thirdgen.org/headlightupgrade I like that it relieves the fuse block and headlight switch of being overdrawn. I would like our 345 to have lights like any new truck, and I think this will be the way. Does anyone have any suggestions on Bulbs for maximum brightness? Cheers, And Happy Trails!

I lost two lights a couple of years ago on a trip to FL. I replaced them with Sylvania "Cool Blue" Halogens and the difference was amazing. Instead of that yellowed, dim, light we now have a bright, clear light the really lights up the road. On our way back through the Smokies on that trip the difference was really noticable.

I like the article, seems like when I turn on my lights my volts drop significantly. Same on the turn signals, especially when towing the Beetle. It would be nice to remove these from the circuit somehow.

Hello Steve, I just yesterday found something that may be a real problem for all airstreamers at some point. I was changing the front Turn signal bulbs and in one of them the solder from a bulb had melted from one of the two terminals and formed a puddle that went do the copper casing. This would definitely reek a lot of havoc(unless when the bulb is in the socket the plate with the terminals doesn't get near the contact sleeve, because it is pushed out of the way?). The wiring in our 345 was rigged in ways I can't believe, so maybe it is just our coach, but I would definitely invest in a good stainless steel rotary brush with the wire strands going straight out, remove each ground wire and give it a good brushing until you see shiny steel. I use a product called Corrosion Block, which dissolves rust and corrosion on electrical contacts and it has been a life saver. I have treated every wire that I can get to. It is cheap if you buy a large bottle, about 25$ for 32oz with a sprayer. My first bottle I got from West Marine in Fla. and it was 11$ for 4 ounces, but it was worth every penny. It saved 1 cell phone that went for a swim and a laptop that got a whole glass of Water spilled on it. Disassembly was required. The 4 ounces lasted for over 2 years because you only need one drop per wire, and maybe 20 or 30 drops for a cell phone. I would go for the 32 oz though as you get a free pressurized sprayer that is well built. I would also recommend finding a precision oiler as well. It is basically a large pen sized dispenser with a small tube at the bottom. when you push the button at the top, it pushes a small hardened steel wire through the barrel of the holding chamber then through the tube to a small sphere at the end. A drop is formed and stays at the end and you can lubricate anything from bearings on motors that are horizontal to wires behind dashboards without coating everything with a spray. Anyway my thought on your voltage drop is that when you do not have a good ground the resistance in the connection increases dramatically. With more resistance the amperage has to increase to maintain the same wattage. So you get a dramatic voltage drop to accommodate the increased draw. the formula is Volts x Amps = Watts. If it is a 12 volt system and you draw 10 amps you are using 120 watts. Since the voltage is the constant and can't go up in the 12 volt system, the Amps must go up because the load is pulling the current, which brings the voltage down. Another way to look at it is like a plumbing system- at a particular pressure you get a certain volume with a pipe of a certain size. Here the pressure at the start(Battery) is the volts, the Amps is the pressure of the water in the pipe(wire), and the watts are the gallons per minute of flow at the end(lightbulb).The other factor here is the ohms(resistance) which is relative to the size of the pipe and can be thought of as friction. When you have a smaller pipe the water has to move faster to maintain the flow. The smaller pipe in this case is either a small wire(or a big wire that has corroded inside) or a bad connection either on the Hot or Ground Side. A faulty ground is like a minuscule water pipe where the pressure(Amps) must become enormous to make it though that junction. Replacing your wires if they have the signs of internal water damage and corrosion(when you strip away a little piece you will see dark corrosion) will help all your systems flow much better. Sorry for being so technical. If you want to get more much more technical check out these two sites I looked at to refresh my memory. They are cool! http://ebtx.com/mech/ampvolt.htm This one has interesting histories of Electricity, one specifically is the fact that OHMs were named named from something medieval Prisoners would do. http://amasci.com/elect/vwatt1.html Cheers and Happy Trails!! -Peter

Peter,
Great post. Yes, mine has a number of "interesting" electrical connections as well - it's sometimes hard to tell the difference between the PO connections and those made at the factory. Seems like butt connectors are everywhere, sometimes three splices in a single wire. I've been working through things over time, replacing, improving, etc. along the way, but the turn signals and marker lights are still on "the list". I hope to convert everything over to LED and bring the coach wiring up to date, perhaps this Fall/Winter.

beem trying to figure out the easy way of installing the headlight assembly in my car. i guess better to check my auto mechanic.